V2O3(0001) on Au(111) and W(110): Metal to Insulator Transition Induced by Surface Termination

Abstract

Thin films of V2O3 have been grown on Au(111) and W(110). It is possible to prepare two different surface terminations: the first one is vanadium terminated whereas the second one exhibits additional oxygen atoms, forming vanadyl groups with the surface vanadium atoms. The electronic structure was studied for both terminations by photoelectron spectroscopy. While the first surface is metallic at room temperature like V2O3 bulk, the second surface with the vanadyl groups shows a gap at the Fermi level.